Dogon altar-statue, Mali Wood with black crusty patina H. 28 cm Dogon altar-statue, Mali H. 11 in This astonishing Dogon altar-statue is characterized first of all by its black crusty patina, obtained thanks to millet porridge and shea butter, spread on the object by libation. Androgyny, also typical of the Dogon corpus, is represented here, with man and woman seemingly cohabiting in the same body. The faces are barely suggested, unlike the body, which seems ambivalent. This figure links the divine, the sacred and the person: the upper part is dedicated to receiving offerings, to responding to a particular request, and the multiple faces symbolize the vigilance that allows the human being to avoid danger. Two similar examples in iconography exist: one in the Musée du Quai Branly, the other in the Menil Collection in Houston.

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